Featured Product: GAIAM Flat Bands

A great way to build muscle and maintain controlled flexibility is with resistance bands. Some come in a tube shape while others are flat and elastic. GAIAM Flat Bands are accessible at many fitness stores, grocery stores, and online. Here is what we learned about the GAIAM brand and our own experience with these resistance bands.

About GAIAM

GAIAM is a fitness brand that focuses on fitness, wellness and yoga products that are accessible by both beginners and experts. The name, Gaiam (pronounced "GUY-um"), is a fusion of "Gaia"—the name of the Ancient Greek Mother Earth goddess—and "I am.” It's designed to hold the meaning, “I am the Earth” and emphasizes the interconnection of all things as well as Gaiam's commitment to nurturing, protecting and respecting the Earth and everyone and everything that exists here, in order to enrich our own lives and those of future generations. Their mission is to use their standing as a leading lifestyle brand to make yoga, fitness and wellness accessible to all.

About the Product

Gaiam Flat Band 3-Pack is crafted out of rubber and latex to enhance existing or new routines. The three bands correspond to three resistance levels with which can be used to exercise and strengthen all parts of the body. By using all three bands, users can gradually increase resistance and flexibility while working out their core. Resistance bands are the ideal physical therapy tool that can help with shoulder flexibility and range of motion, strengthen upper back muscles, condition core muscles, and align posture.

Features

• Measurements - 15”L x 4”W

• Material - Latex and Rubber

• Progressive Intensity - Each resistance band is color coded for easy identification so you can customize the intensity of your workout gradually with light, medium, and heavy resistance.

• Travel-Ease - Lightweight and compact, these bands are easily brought along on trips to maintain workout and physical therapy routines.

• Multiple Applications - Ideal for rehabilitation, strengthening, and improving mobility. Exercise guide included in package.

Usage

These Flat Bands can be used during home routines, between massages, incorporated into workouts, included in physical therapy and other uses. The versatility of this product is useful in many applications. Chase frequently assists clients whose shoulders curve inward (thank you computers), so one easy method is holding a band behind your back in order to stretch out those pectoral muscles, thus lengthening and opening up your chest. Another method is to strengthen ankles by placing the band on the bottom of your foot, holding the two ends, and flexing your foot against the resistance. This exercise can aid both the Achilles tendon as well as strengthen muscles associated with the ankle joint. There are many other exercises which we will elaborate in another stretching video.

Some tips to using Flat Bands include:

• Home Use Locations - Having an open end allows these bands to easily wrap around various structures such as door jams, trees, poles, stair railings or banisters, and more. We caution against using chairs since these too can fall with enough tension applied.

• Strong Grip - Being made of rubber, these bands can easily whip out of your hand. Keep a strong grip or wrap the ends around your hands.

• Indirect Sunlight - Being made of latex and rubber, if these bands are left in the car, throw a jacket over them so that they're not in direct sunlight and the material of the bands don't crack or break due to heat.

Our Experience

Our experience with Gaiam Flat Bands 3-Pack is on par with our expectations. They are affordable, easy to determine strength levels, easy to transport and incorporate into workout and maintenance routines. Compared to the tube resistance bands, aka power bands, which in our experience possess more resistance in the materials and is more cumbersome to transport, these flat bands are easy to use and incorporate into any routine or strength level. They seem more aligned for individuals looking to hone muscle or increase mobility rather than for those who are looking for a strenuous workout. The three levels are especially ideal for building progressive resistance in order to build upon current endurance and mobility.

This allows us to incorporate this tool into core and trunk workouts, arms, legs -nearly any part of the body, without the limitation of having to uses gravity as with weights or a wide floor space as with the foam roller. Granted, weights and foam rollers target different parts of the body, but these flat bands are flexible in giving resistance workout in various planes of directions.

In Conclusion

Gaiam Flat Bands are an affordable option to use at home or while traveling in order to continue body maintenance and wellbeing. This brand has reliable reviews, indicating quality products for their intended purposes. We recommend this product if you're looking for methods of increasing or maintaining range of motion, strength, core control, and/or endurance.

References:

Gaiam (20205). About Gaiam [blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.gaiam.com/pages/about-gaiam

Gaiam (2025). Flat Bands (3-Pack) [product listing]. Retrieved from https://www.gaiam.com/products/flat-bands-3-pack-1

Tim Fraticelli - PTProgress (2020, December 4). Do Resistance Bands ACTUALLY Work? [YouTube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0TX-SETl8g

Additional Sources:

Gaiam Store (2025). Gaiam Restore Mini Band Kit, Set of 3, Light, Medium, Heavy Lower Body Loop Resistance Bands for Legs and Booty Exercises & Workouts, 15" x 4" Bands [product listing]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Restore-Mini-Band-Kit/dp/B07Y4WGL8L/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=20O0FRVPT9L58&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xWFBn7DEAKoH471F1Af8Ccy_wuGTxYTyn79sfueQyDqWntWgPMr7EFB3kN-NSd5j-LaD9ebJRmPoMpzH7ugTixl4FRyFuj8yC6ihmky1JPWIm9-0L8QLXvVMOatUGhLWMsgUw5OF-QfL7aEUzmtyuArEd32Twsb7jw_vriJlyIH564-ZVuGIhkG8Ym4VhHBftP9hvX7O2Z32Xc0NfzaEa4TDMEMGPTxQDnJM2dgijPHR1vY399cmErxMHP_jea_oHMR9YU6Xowd2yNAtPcIKZZl8z7Dti3_SGzlfCiWjRtU.IztBI4k0MzD6b_eNuxK2pNZvtCn0pQj9Pa9ALOrYw0Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=gaiam%2Bflat%2Bbands%2B3%2Bpack&qid=1746636989&sprefix=gaiam%2Bflat%2Bbands%2B3%2Bpack%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Undersun Fitness (2019, August 26). How To Use [ Resistance Bands ] | 🏆 Best Beginners Guide By 💪 James Grage, Undersun Fitness [YouTube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWveMGgKtC8